Ethereal Dolce
by x3Apple
Summary: 'Music', is any sound that is pleasing to the ears. Then why is it such that this piece, even though it has killed and ruined with it's melody, still classified under the word, 'music? Possible KilluaxOC


Hunter x Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. I own nothing but my OC.

This is my first time writing a disclaimer despite writing fanfics for quite some time :O

Anyway, this takes place after the Chimera Ants arc, enjoy the first chapter.

* * *

Chapter One - Soave

The room was occupied, yet silent. There were two people within it, sitting on a sofa, facing a vacant one. One was a young blonde boy, and the other, a balding lady.

Baa-dump baa-dump

Kurapika seems composed. The woman thought, as she listened to the only sound filling the room. She wasn't sure what to think of her own heartbeat though, it wasn't racing, yet it wasn't exactly calm either. Nervous didn't seem like the word to describe it.

"Senritsu, do you think that her claim is genuine?" The blonde boy asked quietly, his question was somehow not sudden, even in the midst of the deafening silence. He glanced at the mantelpiece above the cold fireplace. The lone clock that stood there, read five minutes past ten. Their visitor was late.

"Her heartbeat was calm and normal." The woman addressed as Senritsu replied as she recalled the phone call that she had received earlier this afternoon. The other's heartbeat was steady and sure, throughout the whole conversation on the phone. Senritsu had thought through the situation. Although it was quite improbable that a child would know of such a thing, the tone of her voice, and the fact that a person's heartbeat never lies, was enough to prove that the other did know something of it.

The Sonata of Darkness.

A music score said to be composed by the devil himself, made out of four parts, piano, violin, flute and harp. It held a power so great that not many knew of it, as if it fell into the wrong hands, the destruction might be unimaginable. It was the thing that was responsible for the state of body she was in now. Then after that incident, it became her goal.

Then, after a moment, Senritsu realized that there were now three distinct heartbeats instead of two, the last one coming from a distance behind the door. She notified Kurapika, who didn't seem to be the least daunted as the third heartbeat became stronger, and stronger until it reached the door. There was no hesitation in the sound as the door opened, and in walked a little girl. The first thing that brought about doubt in Senritsu was that she seemed as normal looking as any other girl. Four limbs intact, height normal, and no abnormalities.

"Show us." Was all the boy beside her said after inviting the girl to sit. She sat, said nothing, and then she lifted her hands to reach behind her head.

Kurapika felt as if he was watching a ghost, as he gazed at the girl in front of him. The unnatural paleness of her skin, to the point where he could easily see the green and blue of her veins at her wrists trailing up her arms, was startling, if not freaky. Not to mention the particular... 'accessories', if you could call them that, she had chosen to decorate herself with.

There was a moment as she placed her hands down on her lap again, and Senritsu looked her over. Her heartbeat was still normal. The woman gave Kurapika the signal that it was okay, before turning back to the girl.

"May I ask of the information you have?" Senritsu asked softly.

The girl seemed to pause for a moment, not in hesitation, but in thought, as if she was unsure of how to start. Nevertheless, she began.

* * *

"Hello? Is this Killua?" Kurapika asked over the phone as he looked out of the window, watching the girl leave the building. She stopped, before turning left and disappearing down the corner of the street. The boy turned to lean against the window as he stared up at the ceiling, phone pressed to his ear. "Yes, i'm sorry for calling so late, I intended to speak with Gon, but he has no phone, so..."

There was a short pause over the phone, as Kurapika vaguely heard Killua calling for his companion in the background. Then there was a scuffle as a bright boyish voice called a greeting into the phone. If he had been sleeping before, there was certainly no sign of it now. It was so like Gon... Kurapika smiled to himself slightly. "Yes, you see, I just met someone who may have information beneficial to you..."

* * *

The caliginous sky was overcast with gray clouds, as fishermen hurried around the dock, hauling in the fresh catch they had made this morning, and waving away the most bold of seagulls that dared to try and peck at the fish. Autumn was approaching it's end, and it was getting more tedious each day to fish in the cold waters.

In the midst of the busy dock, two boys stood out clearly with their brightly colored clothes, among the dully dressed men. As well as the fact that the style of clothing showed that the weather was not effecting them as much as the thickly clothed fishermen. The burly men cast the boys strange looks, but never once questioned them as they went on with their duties.

"So, Kurapika met with this girl last week, right Gon?" One finally asked the other. He had hair the color of snow, and his eyes were a dark sea green, the color of the ocean in the coldest days of winter.

"Yup, and Kurapika says that she has some information that is helpful to us." The other that was addressed as Gon, replied as he looked around. This boy had pitch black hair that was, if you look carefully, tinged with green. His bright eyes were a moderate brown color, like ripe chestnuts in late autumn.

"She's late." The younger boy muttered as he looked up at the grey clouds, hands stuffed into his pockets. He wasn't worried about the rain since they didn't look threatening, but more like lingering around, waiting for the right time to let go of their load.

"It won't rain until the next hour, Killua." Gon replied easily. The seagulls were still hanging around, and the gray clouds were not ready. He glanced around. Kurapika said that she would be easy to distinguish from the crowd, and they would definitely know when they saw her. The young boy looked over the dock hopefully, an image of a wildly dressed girl with dyed hair in his head.

"You think that might be her?" Killua suddenly asked neutrally. Gon turned around to follow his gaze, that was on a young girl, no older then them, walking towards the pier. Gon looked at her dressing, and according to his imagination, it wasn't wild enough. "You think so?"

She wore a black kimono adorned with dark red flowers, that stopped just above her knees. Her face couldn't be seen, not because of the lighting, but because it was covered in black bandages. Although it did look pretty out of place, with the weather and environment being as such, it wasn't as loud as both boys thought it might be. The girl stopped a little way from the pier and leaned against the wall of a street shop, her expression, although it was very difficult to see, was mild, and somewhat expectant.

"It might be her." Killua mused, a little more confident. The girl must be blind, seeing that the bandages covered her eyes, and that she was holding a white rod that resembled a walking stick. Kurapika mentioned that the girl he had met up with was blind, and how many blind girls come out to the pier for a walk on a cold day?

The two boys approached the girl after that. She looked up as they came nearer, and they saw that the black bandages weren't bandages at all. They were ribbons. The only parts of her face that were visible, were her nose, mouth and right cheek. Everything besides that were wrapped up in the black ribbons.

"Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck, I presume?" She started the conversation even before they had reached her, straightening up from her leaning position. The girl, even though blind, seems to be assessing them already. Killua made a note about her carefulness, and he couldn't help but notice her voice. It was soft, whispery and feminine, almost to the extent of being sweet. He didn't know whether to feel mystified or creeped out.

"Um, yes, that's us." Gon smiled warmly, his tone friendly. The girl relaxed a little, before she introduced herself. "My name is Alice Vryious."

Killua frowned, he had heard of them before, the Vryious family. They were a family of merchants, that were highly skilled in the art of business and money, and were well known for easily obtaining rare antique items at a reasonable prices. Many hunters, collectors, or well known people would go to them as the Vryious family most likely had the item they wanted, or had a clue as to its whereabouts. Then suddenly, four to five years back, they disappeared.

He remembered that his family and the Vryious family had some vague connections before, whenever his parents wanted to obtain something the Vryious family had. His parents would sometimes return back to the mansion fuming, because apparently Lumos Vryious, the head of the Vryious family, although he had sold them the item, had managed to max out the price. They weren't called merchants for nothing. Sometimes the price was reasonable though, since mere merchants couldn't do much against elite assassins.

Gon on the other hand, had heard the name being murmured somewhere in the midst of the York Shin auction that was almost two years ago. He didn't know the significance of the name though, and thought that it was just a coincidence. Anyhow, she had important information that he needed, and that was all that matters.

"Let's find another place to talk." The girl said as she took hold of the walking stick and started to make her way down the street. Gon and Killua looked at each other and shrugged before following the girl to a nearby teahouse. It was quite crowded, despite that lunch hour was approaching. The waitress led them to the back of the shop, to a comfortable booth in a quiet corner. Killua suspected that Alice had arranged all this before.

"Our friend told us that you might have some information on Ging Freecss." Killua started after they had placed their orders. Alice had ordered caramel tea, while Killua and Gon both took cakes. Killua's one was obviously chocolate, while Gon took a simple cheese cake.

"Your friend also told me that you might know of a way for me to enter Greed Island." Alice replied simply as she leaned back. The waitress quietly placed the ordered items on the table before moving away quickly. Gon blinked at the familiar name. It was in the early months of last year that he and Killua had joined the game, and honestly, he wasn't sure of what had become of Battera, the billionaire that had offered a huge sum of money as a reward to whomever that could clear the game.

"So, in other words, we tell you how to get to Greed Island, and you will tell us the information we want?" Gon confirmed as Killua dug into his cake. It was delicious, no wonder the teahouse was packed. The other boy didn't seem to notice the cake, he was quite focused on Alice and her proposal. The ebony haired girl mused to herself thoughtfully as she sipped the tea. Killua was vaguely reminded of his English styled mother, and the kimono she was wearing reminded him of Kalluto.

"Ging Freecss..." she murmured to herself as she set the cup down absentmindedly.

"He's my father, I'm searching for him." Gon put in, his voice determined and strong.

"Yes, I've never met him, but I have heard his voice." Alice replied. She seemed to be watching them, even though she couldn't see. Killua looked at Gon, whose expression was confused as well. "As in, your father had came to purchase one of my father's items once, but since I don't like to concern myself with clients, I didn't see him, but only heard him as he bid my father farewell after their deal."

"Do you know what he bought?" Gon asked after a thoughtful pause.

"Yes." Alice's tone had no change. "My family, at that time, was in possession of an item that held immense power within it." She paused before continuing. "My parents were unaware of it, but I vaguely recall that I myself disliked it a lot."

"Ging bought that item?" Gon asked. Alice was slightly surprised, as it was not an often occurrence for one to address their parents by their first name.

"He did, but he didn't bring it with him straightaway." The girl confirmed as she finished her tea. Killua was busy savoring his cake slowly, all the while listening attentively, musing to himself. Gon's cake was half eaten, and then left untouched, he was too caught up with the conversation.

"He said that he would come and collect it six months later, and told us not to touch it until then." Alice finished and waited for a response.

"Did he come back?" Gon asked intently.

"Unfortunately, the item was lost before he could come back." Alice replied aimlessly, half lost in thought.

Many questions were running through Gon's mind. What was this item? What happened to it? Why did Ging want it, and why didn't he first take it with him? The boy decided to start with the first question, "What was this item?"

Alice paused, before speaking. "It is a music score, called the Sonata of Darkness."

Great, now he had more questions. Nevertheless, Gon went on with the second question, "What happened to it?"

"You know, I've noticed that throughout the whole conversation, you've been the one asking questions, and a ton of them at that." The girl pointed out dryly. "Shouldn't it be about my turn now?"

Gon was about to protest, but the girl did have a point. He settled down restlessly, and pondered about the information Alice had just gave him, through the numerous questions running circles in his head. Killua would answer her questions, since they had been through Greed Island together.

"I want to know how to enter Greed Island." The girl said simply as Killua told her to ask away.

"We entered the island through this billionaire who owns many copies of the game." Killua answered before proceeding to explain, "He held an audition at his home, where the several hunters who passed the auditions would be sent into the game." The boy paused. "He also offered a large sum of money for whoever that cleared the game, but withdrew the reward after an incident."

Alice frowned, this might be difficult then. She had heard about this from people who took part in the hunter exam last year, but she didn't think that the whole ordeal would be over so soon. She would have went for the auditions herself, but she had not been a hunter then.

"Do you know what happened to many copies of the game after that?" Alice asked slowly, after choosing her next question carefully.

Killua shook his head, "We didn't see him even after we cleared the game."

The girl mused to herself and said nothing. So they were the ones who cleared the game? Pretty impressive. "Do you know of a way I may contact this billionaire?"

The white haired boy thought for a moment. "We know where he lives."

"Could you tell me that?" Alice questioned.

Killua, using his quick and sharp thinking, went about his options for an answer and decided on one, "Only if you let us ask three more questions."

Alice was slightly taken aback by the boy's reply. They sure knew how to take advantage of an information exchange. She needed a way to contact this billionaire, and because he is probably a well known figure, she was sure she could easily find information from elsewhere. However, she was feeling lazy... All that running around, and finally getting an information source was tiring... Their questions surely ranged around Ging. It wouldn't hurt.

"Go ahead." The girl replied.

The white haired boy handed over the questioning to the other, who seemed to have prepared the three questions already.

"Did you see Ging after that?" Gon asked, his voice excited.

"After the item disappeared, I've never seen him again." Alice replied. There, she knew their questions would center around Ging. Only two more to go.

"But the information you just gave us... How would it help us find Ging?" The boy asked again. She had only told them about what happened, probably years back. Since it was a very small lead, it would probably get them nowhere.

The girl sighed a little. She hadn't completely told them everything yet, but nevertheless, she had to keep to her word. Three questions in exchange for the billionaire's address... Maybe it was more worth it if she went the extra mile, instead of revealing everything to complete strangers. "In Greed Island, you use ... Cards for almost everything yes?"

Gon and Killua nodded.

"Truth is, that the music score I mentioned before, it was supposed to be a card as well. However, it wasn't going to be part of the game, since it was too dangerous." She paused before continuing, "It was supposed to be hidden within Greed Island, and Ging was the one who arranged this."

"How this will help you find him?" Alice leaned back, "I cannot guarantee that you will find him, but however, it is a lead. Ging, after arranging for the item to be hidden within Greed Island, assigned, some sort of guardian to it, and maybe if you find this guardian and talk to it, I don't know, maybe you'll find out something."

Gon was about to ask another question, when Killua stopped him. They only had one question left, so they must choose their words wisely.

"But Ging told me there was nothing on the island that would lead me to him." Gon said to Killua quietly.

"That's because this item appears to be fairly dangerous, if anyone else had gotten ahold of that box somehow, I don't think your father would want them hearing about it." Killua reasoned, and Gon mused to himself. Killua did have a point, and he doubted that his father would want him to go after it as well, just to find him.

After discussing on what to ask the girl for the last question, they finally decided on it.

"Last question." Killua started as Alice 'looked' up at them expectantly. "Will you allow us to guide you to the billionaire's house?"

Alice was taken aback. These boys... They were so unpredictable! Maybe they thought they could dig more information out of her? She'd like to see them try. However, after the information exchange, they would probably be going back to that billionaire as well. She was a little lazy to get there by herself, and if this was a trap, they had sorely underestimated her. Although... she had to be careful of Killua, he was an elite assassin after all. Gon? She didn't know what he could do, but he was probably far too naive to outwit her.

The two boys waited for an answer. It was only logical that they try to stick to her for the moment. Alice may have other information that she was keeping to herself, and also, now that they had a lead, and it pointed back to Greed Island, they would need to approach Battera to see if he still had the games. If he didn't, then they would enquire as to what he had done with them. Since the path was so similar, and since they had a feeling that Alice knew more, it wouldn't hurt to stick with her. Besides, they were sure that they could protect themselves against a blind girl, if she tried to attack them. However, they shouldn't underestimate her since they didn't know what she could do.

There was a short pause in the atmosphere before the girl stood up. A waitress then walked over and started clearing the dishes. Alice must've told her not to disturb them until she stood up to go.

"So when shall we leave?"

* * *

So? How was it? I appreciate constructive criticism and comments on the chapter or my oc.

I'm also worried about the canon characters, whether if they were in character, so do tell me if they were.


End file.
